Wicked Kiss (Death & Co. Recipe)

Not all fall drinks have cinnamon and apple juice. This one is a wicked kiss because of 100-proof Rittenhouse rye and Laird's applejack 86-proof apple brandy. Angostura ties these flavors together with Dolin Genepy (my stand-in for Yellow Chartreuse) and Benedictine, which are very herbaceous and spicy without the cinnamon. This is a simple stirred drink that hits you quickly, so you don't have to overdo the cider drinks that proliferate at this time of year.

• 1 oz. Rittenhouse rye
• 1 oz. Laird's applejack 86
• 1/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/4 oz. Benedictine
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe. 

 

Silver Monk (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

It's no secret that cucumber and mint makes a tequila cocktail amazing. Death & Co. has no fewer than three cucumber and tequila recipes, most having some kind of alpine spirit in the mix. Besides Strega, which I wouldn't use in this drink, I rely on Genepy as my alpine spirit stand-in for Chartreuse. It isn't as honeyed as the yellow Chartreuse or as bitter as the Green, but it has a mild flavor that pushes all the right buttons that Chartreuse does without being too recognizable in the way that Benedictine and Strega are. 

This is one of those early 2000s cocktails where the real highlight is the fresh ingredients: the juice, cucumber and mint, that makes this drink memorable.

• 2 cucumber wheels
• 8 mint leaves
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 oz. blanco tequila (Sauza Hacienda used)
• 3/4 oz. yellow Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup

Muddle mint and cucumber in a shaker before adding ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake and double strain into a chilled coupe glass. (Garnish pictured is not part of the original recipe but too tempting not to use.)

Julian Sorel (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

For some reason, Julian Sorel is called "the worst drink name ever," in the Death & Co. recipe book. I don't see why, exactly, though. It's named after the protagonist in The Red And The Black, by Stendhal. In my mind, that makes it a bit of a Scholarly French name. And Julian Sorel doesn't appear in the list of staff picks for worst names in "On The Naming of Cocktails" page of the bar book. Good name or no, Julian Sorel is a good idea.

It blends The Last Word with a champagne cocktail, which is an awesome idea--dare I even say "a genius-level move." If a Negroni can be crossed with a French 75, then why can't a Last Word be mashed-up with a classic French 75 with cognac. And it works surprisingly well. Best of all: it maintains the easy-to-remember proportions of The Last Word!

• 1/2 oz. Courvoisier cognac
• 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• dry champagne (Aria cava used)
• 1 lemon twist garnish
  

Combine all ingredients except champagne and garnish in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with champagne and garnish wtih the twist.

 

Mexi-Gin Martini (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

With all the parts of this cocktail that are not Martini ingredients, this Mexican-themed Martini is very much what it says. Yes, it is basically a Martini with ingredients added, but it is so much more than that. 

Mezcal, celery bitters and alpine spirit really lift the standard Gin Martini to new and more festive heights. The flavor of the Mexi-Gin Martini is very Mexican, similar to tequila Martinis I've had at nicer Mexican restaurants in D.C. It's super herbal with a little burn of jalapeno-infused blanco tequila. Mezcal itself adds to herbal and fruity flavors, and it helps to have a heavily botanical gin like ImaGination from MurLarkey to carry off the gin portion of the cocktail.  

Finally celery bitters is the lifting effect that bridges the connection between dry Martini and fruity tasting spirits. Celery adds earthiness as well as additional herbal boost to hold together juniper from the gin and smokey mezcal by Del Maguey. 

• 2 oz. dry gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• 1/2 oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
• 1/4 oz. jalapeno-infused blanco tequila
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1 dash celery bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Camp Council (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This is a strange concept for a tequila cocktail. When I think of summer camp, I'm thinking of a rye cocktail with maybe some pine smoke and apple juice. But the concept of the Camp Council is sound. This is a woody reposado tequila with herbal flavors that imitate pine needle scent. 

Death & Co. specifies Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur for its cultivation and distillation of stone pine fruits that give the liquor a spicy pine flavor. I, on the other hand, have juniper berries--the other pine fruit. To make a quick pine liqueur, I used MurLarkey gin and fresh juniper berries. I didn't have time to infuse the berries and I'm not sure that was the flavor I was going for. Gin already has infused juniper. I wanted crushed juniper, so I muddled the berries into the gin and built the drink in the shaker around that.

The result achieved a noticeable pine note in the final drink. Dolin Genepy was also a way to get alpine herbs into the drink (similar to the listed Yellow Chartreuse.) Overall, this was a different way to enjoy tequila. I'm not convinced that it is a summer camp drink that I envision, but it is still good, especially on a hot day.

• 1 1/2 oz. reposado tequila
• 1/2 oz. Zirbenz stone pine liqueur (5 juniper berries muddled into gin)
  
• 1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 mint sprig garnish

If using my juniper berry substitution muddle 5 juniper berries in 1/2 oz. of gin in a shaker. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake and double strain into a pilsner glass full of crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

Key Party (Death & Co. Recipe)

I like a stirred cocktail that is unapolegetically French. In keeping with this thought, I tried to go as French as possible with ingredients that I had a choice about. The first is obvious: Citadelle gin is one of those top tier dry gins packed with beautiful floral and spice botanicals that are perfectly balanced. It was an excellent choice to pair with Bonal, a rich and earthy French aromatized wine with quinine. 

Amaro Nardini is the only Italian ingredient in this Death & Co. recipe, and the only one I don't have. Amari have simple substitutes that you can go with for cocktails, so I started with my homemade Amer Picon (made with Ramazzotti and orange bitters) and a touch of Frenet Branca to give it that cool menthol flavor of Nardini as well. I've not tried Nardini, but everyone who does raves about its orange, menthol and caramel notes, and I think I accurately captured this with a 2 to 1 proportion of Picon and Frenet.

A final substitution--my usual Dolin Genepy for Chartreuse--is totally acceptable because of its low proportion to the cocktail that doesn't rely on Green Chartreuse to produce a green colored drink.

• 2 oz. gin (Citadelle used)
• 1/2 oz. Bonal Gentain-Quina
• 1/2 oz. Amaro Nardini
• 1/4 oz. green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)

 

Muddled Mission (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

You don't see too many muddled drinks strained and up and made with alpine spirits. There's something particularly intense about fresh fruit mixed with fruity and herbaceous spirits. Spicy gin like Citadelle or a fine quality London dry style keeps it on the lighter side, which means this mission is over way too soon.

• 1 strawberry
• 1 1/2 oz. gin (Citadelle used)
• 1 oz. St-Germain
• 1/4 oz. yellow Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1 strawberry garnish

 Muddle one strawberry in a shaker and add ice and the remaining liquid ingredients. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with the strawberry. 

 

Gypsy Eyes (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This play on the Gipsy cocktail with grapefruit juice and Aperol to make it pink. I figured that since any twist on a classic is fair game to twist a little more, I used Don Ciccio & Figili Ambrosia as my local Aperol and Dolin Genepy in place of Green Chartreuse. Furthermore, the dry gin used at Death & Co. is Beefeater, a London classic. Was going for something more French with Citadelle gin.

Citadelle gin is really on par with some of the most lovely gins I've ever had: closer to The Botanist than Beefeater if only in quality. So after making a modification to every ingredient in the recipe, I present to you Gypsy Eyes!

• Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1 1/2 oz. Beefeater gin (Citadelle used)
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
  
• 1/2 oz. Aperol (Ambrosia used)
• 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup

Coat the inside of a coupe glass with Chartreuse (or Genepy) and dump. Combine remaining ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the coated coupe glass. 

Tenement Yard (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

I'm on the lookout for vegetable cocktails that really scream spring. This one really hits that mark. The recipe calls for snap pea-infused gin. I one-upped that recipe with asparagus-infused homemade gin. I made it according to my recipe for homemade bathtub gin with the addition of three asparagus stems. The asparagus adds earthy vegetable notes to the gin without overpowering the juniper and gin goodness.

The rest of this recipe is super straightforward. For once, I'm using Genepy because it is called for in the recipe. This French alpine liqueur has bright herb and citrus notes similar to Chartreuse. 

One final note: Death & Co. makes their own orgeat by cooking a syrup with almond milk and toasted almonds, which is a great method. Though I have a bottle of Liber & Co. orgeat, it is full of my homemade orgeat. (I couldn't make this without mentioning the hard work that went into it.) This orgeat is made from the soaked almond and hand-pressed method that takes days and a lot of almonds. I don't recommend doing this for restaurant work, but feel free to try it at home. It's kind of on the order of installing your own appliances or making your own shoes. If you do it right, you will have the satisfaction of having achieved something few others do.

The experience of drinking this cocktail is the enjoyment of fresh floral notes from the Genepy and orange blossom in the orgeat, then sipping and picking up toasted almond and green sprouting asparagus cleared away with bright citrus. It's kind of amazing, really, that so few ingredients pack so much flavor.

• 2 oz. sugar snap pea-infused Plymouth gin (homemade asparagus gin used)
• 1/2 oz. Dolin Genepy
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. orgeat

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. 

Pete's Word

 

A simple and amazing twist on a the classic Last Word with scotch and Dolin Genepy in place of gin and Luxardo maraschino liqueur. Definitely try this with Laphroaig for the smokey peat of the Islay scotch. This flavor is similar to the smoke from mezcal that goes so well with lime juice. It's a great combination, and Luxardo just makes the whole thing work, tying together peat, alpine spice and a highly acidic fruit juice into one harmonious cocktail. You'd think Pete's Word is one of the cannon originals of the classic cocktails.

• 3/4 oz Laphroaig single malt
• 3/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
• 3/4 oz. Dolin Genepy
• 3/4 ozlime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Alta California (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

Alta--a Spanish vision of the New World--ceases to exist except in this golden cup. Even after Spanish colonization ended in California, the indigenous control of the territory remained and continued to produce distilled spirits made from the agave plant. Cinnamon and herbs make up the rounded flavor profile of this stirred drink. It is both light and rich, herbaceous and balanced. If you are a fan of Tequila Martinis, you will fall for this one's charms.

• 2 oz. blanco tequila (El Jimador used)
• 3/4 oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth
• 1/2 oz. yellow Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon bark syrup (rich simple plus a splash of MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey used)

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a coup with no garnish. 

 

Fresca Brava (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This is a fun drink to make for tequila lovers looking to try something spicy for a change. There's plenty of heat here with two ounces of jalapeno-infused tequila. But the subtleties of the drink, the alpine spirit and strawberry, make a sublime spring cocktail that taste fresh and surprising, just as the name suggests. 

To make jalapeno-infused tequila, use a blanco so as to not add color. Cut up two jalapenos (the more diced the faster the flavor will infuse) and put them in a jar with the tequila for at least a day. 

One change I made to this recipe out of necessity was that I used Dolin Genepy instead of Yellow Chartreuse. I feel this was a fair move, since it isn't the color or intensity of Chartreuse that is important to this cocktail. It is better to leave the red hue of the strawberry intact, after all. But those alpine herbs and fruits need to be there to suggest cool climes and fresh air. Genepy does this in spades.

• 1 strawberry
• 2 oz. jalapeno-infused blanco tequila (jalapeno-infused Sauza 100% blue agave blanco used)
• 3/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup

Muddle strawberry in a shaker and add the remaining ingredients with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. 

St. Columb's Rill (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This is an herbal and citrusy all-liquor cocktail with Irish whiskey from Death & Co. It is a simple idea that is surprisingly balanced and requires no bitters or garnish to hold it together. That is because the herbal notes and even the citrus come from the botanicals in the Dolin blanc and Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy pictured). 

It is tempting to add more Green Chartreuse to give the cocktail the emerald color of may Irish-themed drinks making the rounds this time of year. That would be a mistake that would upset the delicate balance. Dolin Genepy, which I have substituted for Chartreuse, is similar in flavor but lacks the intensity of the Chartreuse's green color. Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a substitution like this if the amount were as much as an ounce because of this effect, but here the color change, and really the difference in flavor, are negligible. 

• 2 oz. Bushmills Irish whiskey (Slane used)
• 3/4 oz. Dolin blanc vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/4 oz. Luxrdo maraschino liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.

Four In Hand--In Coup (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

As cocktail trends come and go throughout the years, there are some recipes that will always find favor. Here's another simple recipe by Death & Co. that is more classic than trendy. This cocktail calls for Old Granddad-114 bourbon, another well priced product, but the overall experience comes across as a spiced rum drink with apple notes I gave it from Laird's applejack-86. The use of George Bowman's Caribbean rum makes for a very colonial-style cocktail, and one that has some staying power. 

A few quick tweaks I made with regards to the syrup: I did not pre-make syrup, I flavored my simples using spirits. For the cinnamon syrup I used MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey. It is an easy way to add a dash of intense cinnamon into your syrup. And while I could have soaked my cinnamon sticks I use for garnishes in hot syrup, with MurLarkey cinnamon, I didn't have to because they made this dry spirit for just this kind of occasion. It is so dry, in fact that you can use it for a cinnamon bitters. 

The vanilla syrup was also an easy correction, adding my vanilla infused vodka to the same simple syrup produced a rich vanilla note with little change to the balance of the drink.

Finally, I used Genepy instead of Green Chartreuse for that herbal lift that the cocktail relies on. Yes, a quarter ounce of Green Chartreuse will be a little more bitter, but it is not enough to affect the color or flavor in such a small proportion, and I'm willing to argue that any Alpine liqueur will do just fine.

• 3/4 oz. bourbon (Ancient Age used)
• 3/4 oz. Laird's apple brandy (Laird's applejack-86 used) 
• 1/4 oz. Smith & Cross rum (George Bowman used)
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Genepy used)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon syrup
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla syrup
• orange twist garnish 

Combine all ingredients except garnishes in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled rocks glass and twist the orange zest over it and use it for a garnish. 

A Few Of My Favorite Things

 

This isn't my recipe, though these are a few of my favorite things, that's for sure. Difford's Guide says that a British bartender Dale Bebington invented this, and I have to say it displays superior taste.

Last weekend it snowed in Virginia, and this recipe really called to me. Even the name from the Sound Of Music felt especially appropriate for winter. I had all the things for the recipe, essentially. Genepy is alpine spirit along the same lines as Chartreuse, it is even French, and I believe it comes from the many unsuccessful attempts to replicate Chartreuse back during a time when it was in short supply.

Other ingredients include Martel cognac, which was specified in the recipe as well as mildly sweet Amontillado sherry. Instead of Aperol, I have Ambrosia by Don Ciccio & Figili, amari makers in the U.S. capital. Lastly, a dash of Angostura bitters and orange bitters. It's like a stirred pie!

• 1/3 oz. Martell cognac
• 1/3 PX sherry Amontillado used
• 1/3 Aperol or red sweet Italian amaro (Ambrosia used)
• 1/6 green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Hella orange bitters
• lemon zest twist
  

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Twist lemon over the glass and drop it in.